Automatic drop-fixture.



. No. 755,328, PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904,.-

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AUTOMATIC DROP FIXTURE.

APPLIOATION PILED FEB. 3. 1903. RENEWED JAN. 25, 19 04,

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' PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904. H. M. STURGIS. AUTOMATIC DROP FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1903. RENEWED JAN. 25 1904.

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No. 755,s2a.-

PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

H. M. SIURGIS.' AUTOMATIC DROP FIXTURE.

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PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

H. M. STURGIS. AUTOMATIC DROP FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED P313. 3. 1903. RENEWED JAN. 25, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT MARSHALL STURGIS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO IVAN H. SHOEMAKER AND F. E. WEAR, OF

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC DROP-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,328, dated March 22, 1904.

Application filed February 3, 1903. Renewed January'25, 1904. Serial No.190,61'7. (No model.)

tures, which are especially adapted to windew-shade adjusters; and it consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Although I have shown my invention to be used as a window-shade or curtain-adjuster, it

may be-advantageously employed for other purposesas, for instance,for adjusting maps, advertising matter, charts, display devices in stores, &c.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my invention, showing the same applied underneath the top of the window-casing, the shade being swung by my invention and lowcred, exposing a portion of the top windowpane. Fig. 2 is a side view of the operative portion of my invention. Fig. 3 is abottom view. Fig. A is a sectional view taken on the line 4: 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of-Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the elongated pawl and the pivoted framewhich operatesthe same. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the cord-drum, showing the openings for holding the cord. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable shade-roller bracket or support. 9 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 10 10 of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a plate which is stamped from a single piece of metal, which plate is adapted to be secured to the window-frame by means of screws or any suitable device which may be inserted through the holes 2. Said plate is provided with an integrally-elongated flange 3, integral Fig.

perforated ears 4, and an integral perforated ear 5, the purpose of the ears 4: and 5 and the elongated flange 3 being more fullyhereinafter described. The integral elongated flange 3 is also provided with perforations 6, for the purpose hereinafter described. The plate 1 is provided with a right-angular projecting portion 7, having a perforation 8, and is also provided with a similar right-angular projecting portion 9, having an elongated slot 10 and also ahole 11 in alinementwith the perforation in the ear 5. Mounted in the per forations in'the ears 4 and in the perforations 6 in the elongated flange 3 are two right-angular bent rods 12, the vertical ends of said rods being connected by a plate 13.

14 indicates two small sheave-pulleys, which i are rotatably and slidingly mounted on the rods 12 between the plate 13 and the flange 3. One of the rods 12-that is, the one on the right in Fig. 9has mounted thereon between the elongated flange 3 and the perforated ear to the right in said figure a skeleton frame 15. This skeleton frame 15 has its terminal portions 16 and 17 provided with perforations 18, through which the rod 12 is adapted to be inserted. In other words, the terminal portions 16 and 17 of the skeleton frame 15 are pivotally mounted on the rod 12. The function of this pivoted skeleton frame 15 will be more fully hereinafter described.

19 indicates the drum-rod, which is adapted to be slidingly mounted in the perforation 8 and the slot 10. Said rod is of suflicient size relative to the size of the perforation 8 and the slot lOas to freely rotate and slide in said perforation and slot, which act as supportingbearings for said rod. Rigidly mounted on said rod is a cord-drum 20, said cord-drum being hollow and cylindrical and provided on one end with a flange 21 and on the opposite end with an integral ratchet-wheel 22. Said drum is also provided with fastening means for the cords which support the shade-bracket, which means consist of circular holes 23, into which communicate narrow slots 2A. As heretofore stated, the cord-drum 20 is rigidly fixed and secured to the rod 19that is, it has no movement independent of said rod.

25, Fig. 10, indicates a rod which is mounted in the perforation in the ear 5 and the perforation 11 in the portion 9. Said rod answers as a pivot for the elongated pawl 26, and said elongated pawl 26 has two perforated ears 27, into and through which the rod passes, thereby pivoting said ears, and consequently the pawl 26, on said rod. One of said perforated ears 27 is provided with an inclined face 28, Fig. 6.

The skeleton frame 15 is provided with a projecting shoulder 29, and said-shoulder is provided witha contact-face 30, which contactface is adapted to engage with the face or edge 28 of the ear 27. Said projecting shoulder 29 when moved in a direction toward the right in Fig. 9 or 6 rides over the ear 5 and strikes the face 28, and consequently will elevate the engaging edge 31 of the elongated pawl 26. In other words, the object of the projecting shoulder 29, with its engaging face 30, is to act on the face 28 of the ear 27 for elevating and lowering the elongated pawl 26. In other words, if it is necessary to elevate the engaging edge 31 of said pawl it is only necessary to push the frame 15 to the right. When said frame is pushed to the right, the shoulder 29 is elevated, which comes in contact with the face 28 of the ear 27, thus elevating the pawl. When said frame 15 is moved to the left, releasing the shoulder 29 from the face 28, the pawl will drop by its gravity. The movement to the right of said frame 15 disengages the pawl, and the movement to the left will allow the pawl to drop by its own gravity, thereby effecting an engagement with the ratchet-Wheel 22, carried by the drum 20. Theframe 15 is provided with a hole 32, through which the operating-cord 33 is adapted to pass, and also with a hole 34 for the insertion of the operating-cord 33 should the fixture be applied to the front of the window-casing in place of underneath, as shown and described in this application.

35 indicates the shade-roller bracket, which is composed of two sections 36 and 37. Said sections are held together by means of a band 38, which is provided with a set-screw 39. The section 36 is cylindrical, and the section 37 is adapted to be inserted in said section 36, and the band 38 is rigidly fixed to the section 36. By means of this construction the shaderoller bracket 35 may be adjusted to anylength of shade-rollers. The section 36 is provided with an arm 39, having a square aperture 40 for the insertion of the angular lug of the shade-roller, and the section 37 is provided with a circular opening 41 for the round lug of the shade-roller.

42 indicates a U-shaped piece of metal pro-- on the section 37, and to said U-shaped piece of metal one end44 of one of the shade-rollersupporting cords 45 is secured.

46 indicates a sheave-pulley on which the cord 45 is mounted, and said sheave-pulley 46 is mounted in a bracket 47, said bracket 47 being pivotally secured to a bracket 48. The bracket 48 is located to the right in Fig. 1 and is secured underneath the Window-casing. To the left in Fig. 1 is a similar sheave-pulley 49, mounted in a bracket 50, which bracket 50 is pivotally secured to another bracket 51, and on the sheave-pulley 49 the other shadesupporting cord 52 is mounted, the lower end of the same being secured to the section 36' of the adjustable shade-roller-supporting bracket 35.

As heretofore stated, 45 and 52 indicate the cords by means of which the shade-roller bracket is supported. The lower ends of said cords are secured to the shade-roller bracket and are mounted to pass over the sheave-pulleys 46 and 49. They are also adapted to pass over the rotatable and slidingly-mounted sheave-pulleys 14.

I will now proceed to describe how the cords which support the adjustable shaderoller-bracket are secured to the cord-drum 20. By referring to Fig. 7, wherein the construction of the cord-drum is shown, the holes 23 and slots 24 are designed for the purpose of afiixing two of the ends of the cords to support the adjustable shade-roller bracket. In order to secure the cords to the drum, it is necessary to tie a knot in the ends of the cord, and it will be noticed in this connection that the two openings to the left in Fig. 7 are to receive the ends of the cords 45 and 52, which support the shade-roller bracket. The opening to the right in said Fig. 7 is to receive one end of the cord 33,which is the operatingcord. After knots have been tied in the ends the knots are inserted through the holes 23, and a portion of the cords are then pushed back into the slots 24, the slots 24 being narrower and of smaller dimensions than the holes 23, and the knots being of sufiicient size to be barely threaded through the holes 23 will not slip out of the slots 24. It will be seen from this construction that the knots are located on the inside of the drum, thus leaving the exterior of the drum unobstructed. When the ends of the cords 45 and 52 have been attached to the drum 20, as described, and from the fact that the rod 19 is rotatably and slidingly mounted in its bearings, and when said cords are wound on the drum 20 when the drum is rotated so as to wind the cords thereon, said cords will produce two single coils 54 and 55, the cord 45 forming the coil 54 and the cord 52 forming the coil 55.

As heretofore stated, 33 indicates the operating-cord, one end of which is secured in the slot 24 to the right in Fig. 7 after the manner of the ends of the cords 45 and 52,

as heretofore described. After'the end has been secured in said slot the free end is brought down through the hole 32 of the frame 15. It will be noticed in this connection that said cord is attached to the drum after the other two cords 45 and 52 have been wound up or coiled on the drum, as shown in Fig. 2. The coils 54 and are wound and unwound on the drum in the same direction, and the coil formed from the operating-cord 33 is wound in a different direction. The pulling down on the cord 33 when it is secured to the drum, as hereinbefore stated, has a tendency to rotate the drum toward the operator suflicient only to permit to be released the edge 31 of the elongated pawl 26 from the gral perforated ears 4 and 5, right-angular rods mounted in said ears and flange, aframe 15 provided with a projecting shoulder 29 pivoted to one of said right-angular rods, a rod,

25 carried by said plate, and an elongated pawl mounted on said rod and provided with a slanting face 28 which is adapted to be en gaged by the shoulder 29 when the frame 15 is pushed to the right, whereby said pawl may be operated, substantially as specified.

2. An automatic drop-fixture, comprising a plate stamped from a single piece of metal and provided with an elongated perforated flange 3, perforated ears 4 and 5, portions 7 and 9 having a hole 8, slot 10 and opening 11; rightangular rods 12 mounted in perforations in said flange 3 and ears 4, sheave-pulleys 14 carried by said rods, a plate 15 pivoted to one of said rods, a rod 25 mounted in the opening 11 and perforated ear 5, a pawl pivoted to said rod adapted to be elevated when the frame is pushed toward the right, a rod 19 rotatably and slidingly mounted in the hole 8 and slot 10, and a cord-drum rigidly fixed to said rod, substantially as specified.

3. In an automatic drop-fixture, a plate 1 adapted to be secured to a window-casing, the same being stamped from a single piece of sheet metal and provided with an elongated perforated flange 3 and perforated ears 4, right-angular rods 12 mounted in said ears and said flange, a plate 13 secured to the ends of said rods for strengthening and holding the same in parallel position relative to each other, and sheave-pulleys 14 rotatably and slidingly mounted on said rods and held from displacement thereon by means of said plate 13, and being limited in their sliding movement by said plate and the flange 3, substantially as specified.

4. An automatic drop-fixture, comprising a plate stamped from a single piece of metal and provided with. an elongated perforated flange 3, perforated ears 4 and 5, portions 7 and 9 having the hole 8, slot 10 and opening 11; right-angular rods 12 mounted in perforations in said flange 3 and ears 4, aplate 13 for hold- 'ing the ends of said rods 12 in parallel alinement, sheave-pulleys 14 carried by said rods and having their adjustable movement limited by the flange 3 and the plate 13, a plate 15 pivoted to one of said rods, a rod 25 mounted in the opening 11 and perforated ear 5, a pawl pivoted to said rod and adapted to be elevated when the frame is pushed toward the right, a

'rod 19 rotatably and slidingly mounted in the hole 8 and slot-10, and a cord-drum 20 provided with tapering slots, rigidly fixed to said rod, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT MARSHALL STURGIS. Witnesses:

O. A. LUCAS, J. A. FISHER. 

